Nightingale Alive Again

Dan Swano has been a major force in the metal scene since the early '90s. His most notable position was drummer in the legendary melodic metal outfit Edge of Sanity from Sweden. Tackling the production end of "Alive Again" and the most recent Bloodbath "Resurrection Through Carnage," of whom he also is a member (drummer). After releasing a CDep and full-length with his old-school death band Bloodbath to critical acclaim, I was a bit caught off-guard when I recently got word that Dan Swano would be pursuing Nightingale full-time and not Bloodbath. It's weird how things work out to your advantage though. I am a huge progressive metal/rock fan so I couldn't be happier with his decision. Nightingale play progressive metal tainted with some rock elements, in the vein of Porcupine Tree or the latest Opeth album. For any fan of Mikael Akerfedt's clean voice in Opeth, you will surely find solace in the soothing melody of Dan Swano's on "Alive Again." "Alive Again" is the fourth installment in an ongoing progressive metal saga of a character named Shadowman. Nightingale have been utilizing this element, spanning their 8-year career as a band, and this is notably their first release for US-based The End Records. This is also one of the only concept based records I have ever been able to get through on a consistent basis, other than Green Carnation's "Light of Day, Day of Darkness" and Opeth's "My Arms, Your Hearse." What makes this such a great album is that each song stands alone as wonderful journey into the minds of a band that at the end of the day, will undoubtedly be at the top of the progressive metal genre and the metal genre as whole, for that matter. A handful of the songs are simply keyboards and vocals, creating a dark atmospheric vibe as with the album's opener "Recollections." Other tracks are heavier and would give Porcupine Tree or Spock's Beard a legitimate run for their money. Keep in mind that all vocals herein are sung and not screamed. But don't let that keep you from diving into the magical world that Nightingale have created with "Alive Again." The aura that envelopes your body with each listen is highlightedon the album's premier track "Eternal," which is strategically placed in the middle of this record. This 11-minute opus showcases everything that will ease Nightingale into your hearts and allow for the most pleasurable musical experience, that a band could possibly offer to a fan. Bottom Line: "Alive Again" is written exceptionally well and it's quite easy to fall in love with. This is my first experience with Nightingale and it's sure to not be my last. I am in the process of tracking down all their back-catalog in order to achieve the full experience. Judging from the information I have available, their previous releases were considerably heavier. If you aren't already a fan of prog acts such as Porcupine Tree, Spock's Beard or the softer side of Dream Theater, you should definitely make every effort to investigate this stuff further. For those still a bit weary, checkout the latest offering from Opeth. The similarities are very close and if you enjoy one, you should enjoy the other immensely. After many extensive listens, I'm excited to say that this is an album that will make more than a few a fan of prog. This will not be leaving my stereo for quite some time.